Frisco's Firefly Park Goes Vertical

Firefly Park, a nature-centered master-planned development on the northern edge of fast-growing Frisco, Texas, is about to go vertical. 

In coming weeks, crews will break ground on the mixed-use project’s two multifamily buildings, an 18-story high-rise and a five-story mid-rise building, followed soon by the start of construction on Firefly Park’s combined hotel and office component, said Chad Long, vice president of commercial development at Wilks Development, a Fort Worth-based real estate development and investment company.

“After years of preparation and careful planning, the sites are ready for work to begin,” Long said. 

The development is one of a flurry of recent groundbreakings and ribbon-cuttings in Frisco. The Dallas-area city has established itself as a business hub, attracting corporate relocations and a diverse mix of companies, including PGA of America and Universal Studios.

Other notable Frisco developments include Hall Group’s HALL Park, JVP Management’s The Mix and Blue Star Land’s The Star, future home to the Dallas Cowboys’ headquarters.

The Vision For Firefly Park

The 217-acre Firefly Park site is at the intersection of the Dallas North Tollway and Highway 380 at PGA Parkway, adjacent to the PGA of America headquarters and Omni PGA Frisco Resort.

“We’re envisioning Firefly Park as a northern gateway to Frisco for those coming from U.S. 380 and Dallas North Tollway,” Long said.

Phase 1, to be completed in 2027, will include apartments and townhomes, retail, food and beverage, and entertainment options, as well as a hospitality and office component, all situated in a 45-acre park that draws inspiration from the area’s natural features.

The development’s namesake park highlights the terrain’s eight natural ponds and will feature playgrounds, an illuminated and immersive outdoor art walk, fountain views and hike and bike trails that connect to Frisco’s trail system. In a rapidly urbanizing area, the park preserves the existing landscape and showcases native Texas flora. 

Phase 1 also includes a wedding chapel, event lawn and amphitheater, fully programmed and activated throughout the year, all incorporated into the park.

“What’s anchoring our project is the park itself,” Long said.

The initial public infrastructure phase that has been completed includes construction of streets and roads, medians, water lines, wastewater mains, drainages, electric and gas utilities, and telecom and fiber networks, he said.

“It’s been a little over a year since we kicked off horizontal development,” Long said. “The work we’ve been doing is all underground. It looks like we’ve been moving dirt around. Behind the scenes, we’ve continued to refine design plans as we go through the permitting process with the city.”

Adding Housing To Meet Demand

Firefly Park’s residential component includes the high-rise 233-unit Aurora, and the mid-rise 187-unit The Noc, on which Wilks Development is scheduled to break ground in September and October, respectively.  

Each will include amenities like coworking and conferencing facilities, a fitness studio, dog spa, bike storage, café and coffee bar, resident lounge and game area, and a resort-style pool.

“With the new Baylor Scott & White hospital right across the highway, we’re expecting some of the demand to come from nurses and doctors looking for hassle-free, lock-and-leave housing,” Long said. “Residents of The Noc and Aurora will also benefit from everything else Firefly Park has to offer: the trails, parks and retail and dining.” 

The entire project is designed to be interconnected, walkable and amenity-driven, Long said.

A Dream Connection Between Office And Hotel

“At the BOKA Powell-designed Firefly Offices inside the Dream Hotel, the office lobby is integrated with the hotel, giving the whole building a boutique, hospitality vibe,” Long said. “To get people back to office environments these days, you’ve got to provide amenities that weren’t typical before work-from-home became such a thing.”

The boutique Dream’s brand of luxury hospitality will be a differentiator for Firefly Park, Long said.

“It's a lifestyle, boutique and entertainment-driven hotel and it’s not something we’ve had here,” he said. “It’s denser, with smaller units and a focus on food and beverage, especially the signature restaurant on the ground level.”

The hotel will also cater to visitors to the city’s many coming attractions or Frisco residents enjoying staycations, Long said.

“Meanwhile, office tenants will have the park, all its programming, and all the great food and shopping right at their fingertips,” Long said. “Altogether, Firefly Park is designed to have enough amenities and offerings to keep the space activated both during business hours and leisure time.”

For Wilks Development, the challenge and the opportunity of this site has been to create a project that matches the caliber of other properties in the fast-growing city. 

“Frisco’s municipal government leaders are doing a great job attracting business to the city and ensuring thoughtful long-term planning,” Long said. “Our hope is that Firefly Park is an offering that will make the city even more of a place people want to live, work and visit.”

This article was produced in collaboration between Wilks Development and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.